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Topic: damp :(

dianedrysder

14/8/2013 at 6:25pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: SWIFT CHALLENGER 530SE

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As newbies we bought a caravan last year from a colleague at hubbys work.We have just had it serviced for first time, really disappointed at the result of the damp check as it now has 60% damp along one side in several places.Do you think this has happened in the 10 months we have had it or is likely to have started before we bought it?Being totally new to caravans I recall asking about a large bubble in the corner of one of the cupboards to be told it was nothing to worry about,this has obviously now spread.The guy who serviced it said it was still useable for a couple of years yet and would not be cost effective to repair and that it was due to the awning rail.Is it possible to just seal the rail and not treat the damp in the hope it gets no worse so we can still use it?
Lots of questions I know but hubby is rather annoyed at his workmate as am pretty sure this could not have happened in such a short time to this extent.Saying that the colleague has offered to buy it back from us.Haven't been away in it this year anyhow as hubby so gutted by it all,so might just do that if the problem is going to be too big for us to tackle.

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Di

Frannyvan

14/8/2013 at 8:14pm
Location: Dorset
Outfit: Swift Classic Corvette 1998

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Sorry, just seen your post here, will move my reply over here too.

Frannyvan

14/8/2013 at 8:19pm
Location: Dorset
Outfit: Swift Classic Corvette 1998

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Sounds very similar to our story and of course many others on this site. We are going to repair our van after getting good use out of it this summer. Do a search on the caravan repair forum for damp and you'll come across lots of people asking the same thing and lots of good advice.
Good luck and don't get disheartened. I've spoken to several caravaning friends and caravan professionals and they can be quite pessimistic. It wasn't until I did quite a lot of research on here that I now feel fine about it. Of course it will cost a fortune to be repaired professionally, as it's several hours of work at around £50 an hour, so not worth it on an old van. But a bit of time and patience from you and it will cost a couple of hundred at the most.

bill60

14/8/2013 at 8:19pm
Location: cleveland
Outfit: freelander2 GS compass rambler 18 6

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have a read of the fixed it club members directory on this page loads of advice on how to reseal the awning rail and damp repairs .

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Freelander2 GS new tow
car

the black fox

15/8/2013 at 7:10am
Location: flint north wales
Outfit: swift challenger 480se 2002

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ah your on this side now ,good move .

lets simplify this for you diane ,theres nothing mystical about this repair its simply a strip of metal thats fixed to the caravan with screws between the metal strip and the van is some sealant ,the ideal thing to do would be to get on some step ladders and first visually check the whole rail to see if you can spot if its come loose anywhere .a good indication is moss growing in the gap .

that would be a local repair and would not need the whole rail taken off .just a localised repair .if your lucky it will be easy to spot .work out roughly where the damp is inside and look for a loose bit outside in that area .

the initial problem will be down to one of three things
it may not have been sealed properly at the factory .
it may have been pulled away by the awning in high winds
it may be where the sealant has dried out and water has got in then frozen in the winter and expanded ,this years heavy snow might have helped that along .

my advise would be get it fixed either permanently or temporarily and invest in a decent waterproof cover for the winter .due to the age of the van this is adviseable

jeff juke

15/8/2013 at 11:39am
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Have a look at the Wizards site.At the top right you will see the "Fix it club" a lot of people on here has used this for repairs.....Click

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Animals have feelings..

JEFF................

tango55

15/8/2013 at 2:07pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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Since buying the caravan have you used a jet wash to clean it at all?
If you have then this is probably the most likely cause of damp getting in behind the awning rail because the excessive water power can dislodge the sealant. If this is the case then you can't blame the previous owner.

welshboy1

18/8/2013 at 8:11am
Location: The Diff
Outfit: Caravan

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The problem is it could have been happening over a long period of time but unless the previous owner had it serviced and damp checked they would never know. Don't panic follow the advice and I'm sure there's a few more trips left in her :)

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